A Sister's Tale
by Amelia St.Claire
Summary: '"Tell her I'm sorry." I breathed quietly. Then the darkness came. The light went out. I was gone.' Fiona wasn't the only one with a soft spot for kids.


I couldn't take it anymore. I loved Fiona, I really did. My sister however, like myself, could be one of the most difficult people to get along with. Most of the time, we were the best of friends. It was days like these though, when I just need to get out.

I took my car to the first place I could think of. Dublin. We didn't live too far from the city, and nothing passes time or makes me happier then a long and expensive shopping spree. I parked my car in front of a local bar that Fiona, Sean, and I go to a lot.

_Fiona._

_Claire. Do NOT think of her!_ I kept telling myself. But I couldn't. Gulit was getting to me.

_All she did was spill juice on my shirt._

_It was my favorite WHITE blouse! Limited edition! Cost me a fortune!_

_It was an accident. She didn't mean to. I know she didn't. _

_Cranberry juice! It will NEVER come out! It's ruined! RUINED!_

_It's just a shirt._

_Over $100! Down the drain!_

_I brought up Michael..._

The guilt was really getting to me then. I knew how much she loved Michael. They've only known each other a few months now, and the two of them are head over hills for each other. Bringing him up was completely out of line. They're fighting, and the look in her eyes when I said told her... _that_, was horrible. My strong, brave older sister, never looked that saddened by anything I've ever said before. That was when I ran out. I couldn't look in her eyes anymore.

I walked past the old bike shop, and into my favorite boutique, which happened to also be Fiona's. I deliberated walking past it and keep on going, but then I looked in the window and saw it. It was perfect. I ran into the shop at top speed to get a better look. I had to get it. It was her shirt. Not just any shirt, but Fiona's favorite shirt that she let me borrow a few months ago, only for it to be ruinned when I tripped and fell in a pile of mud, one rainy day.

_She didn't react the way you did._

That was it. I ran to checkout counter and purchased the shirt, paying with a maxed out credit card I knew I shouldn't use. She was worth it.

I ran out the door, hoping to avoid the crowd of tourists and shoppers that usually come around this time, but I was too late. While opening the door, I accidently hit some man.

"Oww!" he shouted rubbing his head. He looked angry, so I quickly decided that I wasn't going to walk that way back to my car.

"Sorry!" I yelled back and started to speed walk in the other direction. I was swept up in the sea of people, when I started to hear crying.

"Mom? Mommy? Mommy, where are you?" I looked over to see a small, young American boy standing still in the rush of the crowd. He had tears running down his face, which was all red and puffy.

I ran over to the crying boy and put a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at me.

"Are you lost?" I asked him, softly. He didn't answer, but looked up at me and shook his head.

"It's OK, I'll help," I told him and smiled. Another thing Fiona and I had in common was our soft spot for kids. "Do you know your mum's number?"

"Yes," he finally said and sniffled. I held out my hand to the boy, who took it, and I walked him into a food market right across the street that wasn't too crowded. Once inside I reached into my purse and pulled out my phone with I gave to the boy.

"Thank you," he said timidly and slowly pressed the buttons on the phone, then held it up to his ear when it started to ring. The phone was loud enough that I could hear everything they were saying.

"Hello?" answered the boy's mother, who had a large amount of panic and worry in her voice.

"Mommy!" the boy said happily into the phone. I heard the mother let out a loud sigh of relief.

"Kyle! Kyle, sweety are you OK? Where are you calling from?"

"I'm fine mommy. I'm calling from a nice lady's phone."

"OK, Kyle may I talk to this lady?"

"Hold on." Then he handed the phone to me.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Hello? Who is this? Are you the lady who helped my son?"

"Yes, ma'am, I am."

"Thank you so much, thank you!" She breathed into the phone. "My husband and I have been worried sick! Where are the two of you?"

I gave our location to the boy Kyle's mother and the two of us waited for them to come. We were waiting outside of the market, when Kyle asks me, "What's your name?"

I was a bit suprised at the question, but answered, "My name is Claire. What's your name?"

"Kyle," he smiled at me. "You have a pretty name."

"Why thank you! Kyle's a cool name, too. A strong name."

"Thanks," he ended for the moment and looked down at his feet. Suddenly he asked, "Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

I laughed at the question. "Why yes I do actually. I have older five brothers and an older sister."

I must have frowned or looked sadder at that moment, because Kyle then asked, "What's wrong?"

"My sister and I had a fight that's all," I answered. "I feel really bad. When I get home, I'm gonna give her this," I waved the bag with Fiona's new shirt in it," and hope she forgives me. We're like best friends."

"I'm sure she will. You're too nice not to."

I really smiled this time. "Thank you, Kyle. I needed that."

"You're welcome," he answered. "What's her name?"

"Fiona."

"That's a pretty name, too."

"I'll tell her you said that. She'll love to here it."

"OK."

There was change in the crowd. At the end of the street, which wasn't more than forty feet away from the two of us, there was shouting. Angry shouting. However I didn't have long enough to dwell upon it, because seconds later there were the happy shouts of, "Kyle!" coming from further up the street in the other direction.

We both looked towards the shouts and there was, what I assumed were, his parents racing towards us. Kyle ran from my side towards his crying mother and relieved father. His mother grabbed her son and twirled him in the air, hugging him close. After the happy reunion, the trio walked over towards me.

"We can't thank you enough," said Kyle's father.

"Yes, thank you, thank you!" agreed Kyle's mother, who put Kyle down for a moment and pulled _me_ into a hug.

"It was no problem. I'm just glad he's OK," and I looked towards Kyle, who smiled at me again.

"Thank you, Claire," Kyle said and then Kyle gave me a hug. I pulled away from him after a moment, stood up and grinned down at him.

"You're welcome, Ky-" I didn't get to finish though, before the gunshot rang out.

I felt the impact before the pain. The force of the bullet, pushed me forward and I almost fell on Kyle, but fell to the side of him instead. Kyle's father picked him up and the family backed away from my bleeding self. I couldn't breathe. I tasted in my mouth blood and too much of it. The crowd around me was moving fast, fleeing the scene. Kyle and his parents, however, didn't move from their spots, too stunned to move or speak. Or at least his parents were. Ever since he was picked up, Kyle started to shout and thrash against his father's hold on him.

"Mom, dad, move! Please help Claire! She has see to Fiona!" he was shouting. That seemed to snap them out of their trances. Kyle and his father ran over to me while his mother ran into the market to, what I assume, get help.

"Claire! Please talk!" Kyle was yelling.

I was going to die, I could tell. The pain was too much. My vision was clouding and all I was starting to see was darkness. That's when I started to pray.

_Oh Dear God,_

_Please take care of them. Especially Sean and Fiona. I know they'll get in trouble one of these days. Please just like them be OK._

_Keep Mum and Dad safe, too, and the rest of clan. Don't let Mum cry to much. Let them know I love them._

_Keep Kyle safe also, and his family too. _

_Let Michael and Fiona make up. They're too happy together to be apart._

_And God, please, PLEASE, let Fiona know this isn't her fault. Don't let her do anything rash. Please. Keep her safe. _

_Thank You._

"Claire! Claire!" Kyle kept crying, and I heard other voices, too.

"Keep applying pressure!" someone was yelling. "Dear God, there's blood everywhere!"

I didn't notice any of it. The darkness was coming fast. I was almost gone.

"Tell her-" I was cut off by a round of coughs from the blood filling my lungs.

"What, Claire, what?" Kyle whispered.

"Tell her I'm sorry." I breathed quietly.

Then the darkness came. The light went out. I was gone.


End file.
